


Piece by Piece

by SociallyAwkwardFox



Series: Marvel Trumps Hate 2018 [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Conversations, Developing Relationship, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-06
Updated: 2019-03-06
Packaged: 2019-11-12 15:45:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18013697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SociallyAwkwardFox/pseuds/SociallyAwkwardFox
Summary: When Tony finds himself in Wakanda, he runs into a face he hasn't seen since Siberia. One meeting leads to another and another and another. Things have a way of coming together piece by piece. It's merely a matter of time.





	Piece by Piece

**Author's Note:**

  * For [yenny2206](https://archiveofourown.org/users/yenny2206/gifts).



> Fic done for the Marvel Trumps Hate 2018 Auction! Thanks so much Yenny for participating! Hope you enjoy what I've written for you!
> 
> Beta'd by Glaciya

“Your leg is bouncing.”

After sticking out his tongue, he did his best to calm that nerves that had his leg muscles twitching in anticipation. “Is not.”

“Whatever you say, Tones. You know, there's no reason to be nervous. The two of you have spent how much time talking? I swear you both stay up until morning like you're lovestruck high school teens that can't be away from each other for more than five seconds before you’re missing the other one.”

“That's not at all true. We never get to see each other. It's not at all the same thing. If anything, it's understandable that the two of us stay up so late talking to each other. There are only so many hours in the day.”

“And you spend most of them talking to him. Don't think I missed you texting under the table during our meetings with the Council. I know exactly who you're talking to, and it's not Pep like you're about to say it is.”

“Pep and I have important things to discuss about the future of Stark Industries and the direction of the company.”

“Doesn't mean she's the one you're texting.”

“You don't have any proof.”

“Want me to ask F.R.I.D.A.Y.?” The raised eyebrow Rhodey sent his way made him look entirely too pleased with himself and like he already knew he'd be celebrating a victory the moment he responded. “That's what I thought. It's a good thing he decided to accept your invitation. You would've been sulking for months if he declined. There' nothing worse than a sulking Tony. I don't want to have to clean out all the Stark Raving Hazelnut cartons when they get freezer burnt.”

“I'm starting to question our friendship. I know you've been there for me since we were at MIT, but I'm starting to think that we're getting into toxic territory. You don't even want to be there for me during my times of need. It's not like you! I'm starting to think you've been replaced by some sort of shapeshifting alien or something.”

“That's bullshit and you know it. If I were a shapeshifting alien, you would've figured it out by now. I'm sure you would've come up with some kind of device that can see through the shapeshifting.”

“That does checkout, but I'm keep my eye on you. One wrong move and I'll catch you in the act!”

Rhodey rolled his eyes with a fond smile on his face but didn't say anything as he turned his attention to the helicopter hovering above the landing pad. While the blades of the helicopter slowly came to a halt, the door slid open to reveal a man in a suit with dark sunglasses and a clear earpiece. He stepped out of the helicopter and offered a hand to the woman dressed in red that ignored the hand in favor of jumping onto the landing pad. The next person out looked up at the still spinning blades with a disgruntled expression when they caused his hair to fly into his face. Despite his annoyance, he offered his hand out to the princess that followed him and stepped out of the way to allow her to go first.

The princess greeted them both with a wide smile and a firm handshake. “It is good to see you both again. I hope you have better plan than my brother when he took me to California. I was very disappointed we did not visit Disneyland.”

“It depends what you enjoy. I can probably get you in anywhere, it's a matter of them having enough security for a royal visit.”

“That sounds like a bunch of excuses to me. At least tell me you've got a decent lab for me to work with. I need somewhere to let my genius work.”

“Well, it's nothing like what you have in Wakanda, but I think it'll be a good starting place for you to improve upon.”

“I'll be the judge of that.” Princess Shuri clapped her hands together with a commanding air, then stepped to the side to give him a better view of the man standing impatiently behind her. “Now, please do something about him. He's been unbearable the entire trip. You would think we were going to his execution.”

“If it is what your majesty commands, it will be done.”

“The two of you are both ridiculous. It is a good thing you'll be taking him off our hands. He will fit in much better here. Although, the goats will greatly miss him, and he won't have the same access to such innovative technology.”

“Ouch. That stings.”

“But is not inaccurate.”

* * *

 

_“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Your Majesty.” Their hands met for a firm handshake, then fell away as they made their way out of the building with T’Challa’s two companions following silently behind them. “I watched your announcement at the UN meeting. You and your people will make the world a much better place. It’ll be a pleasure to watch, especially what your sister will contribute. I’ve heard incredible things about her.”_

_“From who?”_

_“Ross gets to talking if you put enough alcohol in him. Of course, it wasn’t my intention for him to blab about what he saw in Wakanda. The plan was to get him drunk enough to go away, but it turns out Ross is both a talkative and clingy drunk.”_

_“It is a good thing we decided to share our knowledge with the world, or I might be more concerned.”_

_“How is that going? Any major roadblocks yet? I know many governments can be… resistant to change, especially the US government. I’ve had my fair share of hoops to jump through just to do something simple to help people. The resistance to change they don’t understand is remarkable.”_

_T’Challa rumbled out a hum of agreement that had hints of weariness around the edges. “I must admit that entry into the United States has been met with considerably more resistance than I originally anticipated. Purchasing the property was simple, but even our best negotiators struggle to navigate all the documentation and officials required to move forward.”_

_“If you ever need any assistance with that, feel free to contact me. Most of the officials sign off on whatever I put in front of them now because they want me out of their office. There are some perks to being involved in the political game so long. They don’t outweigh all the negatives, but they do exist.”_

_“Having someone we can trust to lobby for our interests in the US would be beneficial. While most of our efforts are currently concentrated in the US, we do have other facilities in different countries that also require attention. My sister has also grown impatient. She wishes to begin operations sooner rather than later.”_

_“Dealing with politicians always means it’s going to be later, but I can see what I can do to cut down some of that time. Where have things currently stalled at?”_

_“My negotiators would know better than I. They spend all their time working on this project. I have other duties to attend to, such as these meetings.”_

_“Understandable. I imagine a king has more on his plate than I ever have.” The rush of cars speeding by sent a blast of cold air by him that caused him to shiver and wish they decided to meet somewhere warm. His body ached from the cold, but he didn’t dare ask the king or his companions to rest on a bench for his sake. “If they get in contact with me, I can work on a plan to get the ball rolling. I believe you have my contact information from the Accords.”_

_“While I understand you are a busy man, I would prefer you come to Wakanda to speak with my negotiators in person. It would be easier to keep everyone on the same page and give you an idea of what we will offer.”_

_“It would be an honor. Give me a few days to make arrangements.”_

_“Please, take as much time as you need. You will be doing us a great favor.”_

* * *

 

As soon as they entered the compound, an excited Peter appeared seemly out of nowhere with a bright smile on his face. After stumbling through an awkward introduction, the princess took pity on him by demanding he show her where she could begin working. Rather than stick around, Rhodey parted from them with the excuse that he still needed to set up for training. Suspiciously, he found himself left alone with Bucky, but he didn’t find that disagreeable in the slightest. In fact, he’d been looking forward to a chance to talk to him alone.

“And then there were two. How does a tour of your new home sound?”

“Perfect. I need to stretch my legs after sitting for so long.”

“Well then, let me be the first to welcome you to the Avengers Compound. First built in 1983 as a Stark Industries warehouse, this building and several of the surrounding ones were converted to facilities for the Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D., and researchers to use by yours truly. Thrilling stuff.”

Despite his eyes curiously roaming, Bucky seemed to be paying attention to every word that came out of his mouth. “What kind of research?”

“Depends on who you’re asking about. We’re housing a whole range of specialists here that are working together to create all kinds of new technology. Some of them worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. before Natasha leaked all their files on the Internet for everyone to see, like Helen and Erik, but we’ve gotten a few new recruits as well.”

“How do you know none of them are connected to Hydra?”

“Between Hill’s interrogations and my access to personal information, we’re pretty sure none of them are Hydra agents. Of course, you can never be too sure, so we have plenty of safety measures in place to only allow them access to pertinent information.” As they rounded the corner to the living quarters’ community area, he took the opportunity to switch the conversation to something less heavy. “If you can’t tell by the clutter, this is where people stay when they’re at the compound. We have a few people staying here right now, but most of them come and go. You should meet most of them before the end of the month, assuming no emergencies pop up.”

“Who’s here right now?”

“Rhodey, Peter, Hope, Vision, and Sharon. You’ve already met Rhodey and Peter. Hope is at a meeting for Pym Technologies but should be back in time for dinner. The other two are probably getting ready for whatever training session Rhodey has in mind. Although, I believe you already know Sharon, so no introductions will be needed there.”

“I do?”

“She helped you out when you were all fugitives on the run.”

“Peggy’s niece?”

“Great-niece, but that’s just getting into semantics. She’s a great agent and a wonderful addition to our group, which isn’t a surprise. She learned from the best. I’m glad she agreed to ditch the C.I.A. to join us. The two of you will get along great.”

“Why is that?”

With a smirk, he shoved open the door to Bucky’s new room, then stepped aside so the other man could enter first. “Just a hunch I have. More importantly, this is yours. I’ve included a few things I thought you might like, but feel free to switch things up. Just ask F.R.I.D.A.Y. and she can get you access to anything your heart desires. Don’t hold back on the purchases, especially if it’ll help you settle in better. I know how difficult the move from LA to here was for me. It’s not easy getting used to a new place. I’m happy to help however I can.”

“You’ve already helped more than-”

“I’m just going to stop you right there.” The hand he held up to motion him silent earned him a fond roll of the eyes from Bucky. “We agreed to be honest with each other, so here’s me being honest. It’s great to have you here, but I’m not the best at this kind of thing. When there was the screen between us, it was easier to imagine I wouldn’t completely screw everything up. Now, you’re here and things are more…”

“Real?”

“That feels like understating it, but yes.”

“If it makes you feel better, I feel that way to. It’s strange to not be halfway across the world from each other. Luckily, we also agreed to take things one step at a time.” After one more sweep of the room with his eyes, Bucky held out an arm for Tony to loop his through as they stepped out of the room. “Where to next?”

“Normally, I wouldn’t suggest this, but I know how much you love new toys to play with. How about we stop by my workshop next? I’ve been working on a few new things I think you’ll like, and you still need to meet the bots.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

* * *

 

_“Welcome, Mr. Stark.” As he shook T’Challa’s hand, he surveyed the group around him and put a few names to faces he recognized. “Thank you once again for coming here to aid in our dealings with the American government. I know what a busy man you are.”_

_“And as a fellow busy individual, I’m sure you understand the desire to avoid some of the less interesting aspects of what’s on our plate. Plus, I’ve got plenty people I trust to hold down the fort for a week or two. This will be like a vacation. I’ll even be doing one of my favorite things: annoying people into getting what I want.”_

_“I’m sure we can offer you a bit more than that, but you are right. I have a few things of my own I’ve been putting off for far too long. I apologize for having to leave so soon. Hopefully, you don’t mind me passing you off to someone else.”_

_“Not at all. We’ve both got work to do. So, which one of you is stuck being my tour guide?”_

_The polite smile on T’Challa’s face shifted to a mixture of fondness and exasperation at the same time he stepped to the side to reveal a familiar face. She didn’t wear the same formal dress as he brother or mother, or a uniform like the guards on either side of them. In fact, she reminded him of himself whenever Pepper brought people over to met him for business when he’d been in the middle of work. Under her lab coat, she wore casual clothes and a pair of bright sneakers._

_“Are you ready to see some real technology?” The spark of mischief in her eyes didn’t falter when her mother gave her a sharp reprimand that she paid no mind to._

_“Please, lead the way. I have to admit that was part of the reason I offered to help your brother. I always love to mess around with new toys whenever possible.”_

_“We have plenty of those, and I finally have someone around that will appreciate the importance of upgrading technology to function more efficiently than the previous version. My brother fails to understand the importance. It’s like talking to a brick wall.”_

_He let out a chuckle at her indignant tone as he followed her into the beautiful building he’d been directed to land in front of. “People these days. No respect for the lengths we go to try to create something perfect, even though we know the data will always draw an imperfection to our attention. It’s why we have to stick together.”_

_“Exactly. Luckily, I have a group of fantastic minds to work with. It will be nice to finally attend some conferences and work with others to expand the possibilities of what our knowledge could provide for the world.”_

_“And I’m here to make sure you’re able to do that to your heart’s content in the United States, but that doesn’t mean you can’t visit before all the papers have been signed for the program to operate. I’ve got plenty of space for you to make yourself at home, and I mentor someone around your age that’s on a path to becoming a great scientist.”_

_“I’ll take your offer into consideration.”_

_As they made their way to their destination, he did his best not to slow them down by stopping to inspect every piece of interesting technology they passed along the way. On a few occasions, the princess humored him with an explanation of the function and potential additions she planned to make to whatever caught his eye. When they finally reached her lab, he let himself marvel with abandon at all the gadgets and the view outside the large wrapping window. If he didn’t have obligations and thought he’d be welcomed, he would be begging to stay here forever. Instead, he took his fill, then came back to the present to find a pair of wide eyes staring at him._

_He looked much better than he had a few months ago. Straggly, greasy hair now radiated a healthy shine and was clipped out of his face putting his blue eyes on display. The clothes he wore were much brighter than his stiff, all-black Winter Soldier getup with a wrapping covering up where a mechanical arm used to be. For a former assassin, it was fairly easy to read the uneasiness he felt at seeing him in Shuri’s lab. While he hadn’t been positive where everyone ended up, he couldn’t say he was particularly surprised to find Bucky Barnes holed up in Wakanda._

_“Looks like you have an appointment. I’ll get out of your hair. Raincheck on the info dump?”_

_“If you think you can handle it, I could use another set of hands on a project this afternoon. I’m sure I can break you out of political talks.”_

_“Square deal.”_

* * *

 

Moonlight cast a shadow across the man’s face that tilted toward the sky with eyes closed and relaxed expression smoothing his features. While he normally came to this spot to get away from everyone, he couldn’t say he minded a little company tonight. Being sure to make noise, he crossed the short distance between them to take a seat next to Bucky on the edge of the roof. A pleasant breeze picked up as he swung his feet lazily through the air and mapped out the stars above him. When he leaned back on his hands for a better look, a tentative set of fingers nudged their way under his so some of his weight pressed against them instead of the rough rooftop.

“Find anything interesting?”

“No, I only know the basics for survival purposes. They didn’t teach astrology in the army and Hydra education didn’t really focus on anything that ended in -ology: murder, assassination, stealth.”

“I didn’t realize Hydra had an entire education division. Think they would let me take a look at their curriculum? I have to admit I’m a little curious. What do they take points off for?”

A soft chuckle came from Bucky that carried away on the breeze, but his body shifting to brush against Tony’s allowed him to hear it before it disappeared. The warmth radiating off his body nearly sent a shiver down his spine and it took conscious effort not to lean against him to better experience it through the thin material of his shirt. He made sure to keep his eyes focused on anything other than the man sitting next to him, so he wouldn’t cause any discomfort that might result in him moving away from him. While he hadn’t minded the lack of contact during their months of video calls, having him right next to him made him want nothing more than to take everything Bucky would willingly give.

“What are you doing out here so late?” How such a gruff voice managed to sound so soft he’d never know, but he’d fallen asleep enough times to it that the restlessness beneath his skin finally started to settle. “Can’t sleep?”

“Not at all. What about you? Still on Wakanda time?”

“Same as you. Couldn’t sleep. The fresh air sometimes helps. I didn’t think anyone would come up here, obviously I was wrong.”

“What can I say? Great minds think alike.”

“I’m sure you’ve been coming up here a lot longer than I have.”

He shrugged his shoulders causing his left to slide against Bucky’s arm, then back down it. “It’s a nice spot to come when I’ve got a lot on my mind. The quiet is nice and no one has ever bothered me here.”

“There’s a great view.”

“I used to love looking up at the stars when I was a kid. Whenever I needed to get away, I’d climb up to the mansion roof and just stare up at them. A few times I fell asleep up there, and Jarvis was not happy about that. He told me I nearly gave him a heart attack the first time he went to wake me up and couldn’t find me anywhere.”

“Used to?”

“I…” His fingers involuntarily flexed at the thought of what he’d seen in his nightmares: an army of destruction, an imposing figure, death. “I loved the idea of something being out there. Now, I’ve seen what’s out there. The attack on New York was just the beginning. Everything that’s happened has been building up to this and we know practically nothing about what’s coming. It’s hard to look at the stars with the same sense of wonder.”

“Whatever comes, you’ll have people by your side to stop it. That’s what everyone here is training so hard for. No matter what, we’ll give them hell. You’re not alone in this.”

“No, I’m not.”

* * *

 

_A warm breeze picked up as he weaved between the people filling the busy market street despite the setting sun. After spending most of his day in a plane and conference rooms, it felt nice to enjoy the outdoors and stretch his aching legs. While he rarely had time for it, he always enjoyed being able to stroll around watching people go through their day. There was something calming about seeing people going about their lives, not having to worry about evil organizations or aliens. It was the kind of normalcy he never experienced._

_It was certainly the kind he never would’ve expected to see the Winter Soldier blending so seamlessly into. Despite having some idea of his background training and the rumors of him being nothing more than an assassin ghost story, his bombastic reveal in D.C. made it difficult to imagine. Of course, the fact remained that it wasn’t the Winter Soldier following the flow of people to the next stall that caught his eye. The Bucky Barnes he watched inspect fruit looked more relaxed than he could imagine being after everything he went through. He could hardly keep it together after what he’d been through and Bucky’s file had years on his._

_The wide-eyed expression that appeared on Bucky’s face when he noticed him didn’t surprise him in the least considering how uncomfortable he’d been in Shuri’s lab. He hesitated over whether to slip into the sea of people for a moment, then dodged the opposite flow to get over to Tony. His stiff posture and obvious mask told Tony he was dealing with a soldier._

_“No need to look like you got called to the principal’s office. I’ve never been much of a stickler for the rules. There’s always room for interpretation.”_

_“Is that what you told them when you got called in?”_

_“Something like that, not that it ever went over well. People like their rules. It makes them feel like they’re in charge of the situation.”_

_“And what about the Accords?”_

_“That wasn’t about rules. That was about people.” A familiar heaviness settled on his shoulders, but he quickly pushed it away by changing the subject. “How has your time in Wakanda treated you? It looks like you’re doing better than the last time I saw you.”_

_“It’s been peaceful, for the most part.”_

_“What? You look like you want to say something else.”_

_“I… I didn’t think you’d want to talk to me. After what happened in Siberia-”_

_“It’s a thing of the past. I’m here to assist with navigating the right channels to get their new programs up and running in the US. I’m not here to turn you in or point fingers.”_

_“That still doesn’t explain why you’re talking to me.”_

_“Would you prefer I ignore you? I’m perfectly capable of doing that. I did it to Hammer all the time before he got arrested for aiding a terrorist. Him being in prison made it so I don’t even have to try to avoid him now. Believe me, I don’t have a problem avoiding people.”_

_The mask Bucky wore remained firmly in place, but his voice came out softer and raw with emotion. “And you don’t think the person that killed your parents should be avoided?”_

_“Not really.” He nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders as he popped a piece of fruit he stole from one of Bucky’s bags into his mouth. “Considering they were Hydra, I believe the correct response would be to hunt them down and punch them repeatedly into the face. An argument could also be made for apprehending them to stand trial, but that sounds a lot less satisfying. You wouldn’t happen to remember the person that gave the order?”_

_“A Hydra officer?”_

_“Funny. Good to know they unlocked your sense of humor. Any other neat tricks you remembered? From the stories I heard, there were a couple of things you were known for.”_

_“And who told you about them?”_

_Rather than immediately answer, he stole one more piece of fruit, then sent him a little wink at the same time he pushed away from the wall of the building they’d been leaning against. “Would you look at the time? I should be heading back. There’s work to be done in the morning, and I need my beauty sleep. We’ll have to finish this conversation some other time.”_

* * *

 

A soft knock against his workshop door distracted him from the schematics he’d been busy pouring over for several hours. While he didn’t make it a habit of looking over new designs for company products, there were always a batch that ended up in his inbox with a stern request from Pepper to get them back to her as soon as possible. After flicking them away with an exhausted sigh, he told F.R.I.D.A.Y. to open the door and turned to find Bucky entering with two plates in hand. His hair was tied back in a messy bun and he wore his usual tank top and yoga pants combo that meant he’d spent the morning training.

“I don’t remember ordering delivery, but I’m not going to complain. Food is always a nice surprise.” He gladly accepted the plate, then motioned for Bucky to take the free chair closest to him. “So, how was training? Are you playing nice with everyone?”

“Hope fights dirty.”

“Don’t let her hear you say that. I’m pretty sure she would just brush it off and tell you she’s using superior tactical analysis to her advantage. That’s what makes her so dangerous in negotiations. She knows how to talk her way out of almost anything, and if that doesn’t work, she knows how to force people into submission. It’s very impressive.”

“Tell that to my bruises.”

“What bruises? You’ve got super soldier healing. They just disappear five seconds after you get them.”

“That’s not how it works.”

Since his mouth was full, he rolled his eyes at the weak comeback, so Bucky knew he wasn’t buying it. “I’ll be sure to pencil in some time to feel bad for you. I’m sure those bruises are really going to put a damper on your day. Now that I think about it, I know a doctor that might be able to help with that. I mean, he’s not really a doctor anymore, but I’m sure getting magical powers only made the miracles he works real.”

“Thanks for the offer, but I’ll pass on that one. I’d rather the ants give me a checkup.”

“That can be arranged, too. I know someone.”

“We both know someone. You’re not special.”

“Ouch. That really hurts.”

“Doubtful.” Even though he hadn’t taken a bite, Bucky returned his sandwich to the plate and straightened up like he always did when he was about to turn things into a serious conversation. “There is something I wanted to talk to you about. We don’t have to do it now if you don’t have time. When I asked-”

“I’m going to stop you right there because I do have work that needs to be done, but I have time to talk now. The sooner you get to talking, the more time we have to talk, so snap to it.”

“Right. Hopefully, you’ll take it easy on me. It’s been a while since I’ve done this.”

“Don’t I always?”

A soft chuckle came from Bucky that finally got him to relax. “Not really, but it keeps me on my toes. I can’t say I mind it. It’s actually one of the things I like most about you, and one of the reasons I’d like to know whether you’d let me take you out.”

“Is that your old-timey way of asking me on a date? Aren’t you catching up on all the modern slang with Peter? I thought that’s what your movies marathons are for.”

“I get that you’re proud of your son, but I was hoping for a yes or no.”

“You need to stop hanging out with the others. They’re a bad influence on you.” He shoved his plate to the side and pulled up the schematics again. “The answer is yes, and I’m free any night the rest of the week. Now, get out of here. There won’t be any date if Pep kills me because I didn’t get these back to her before the end of the day.”

“We wouldn’t want that. I’ll leave you to it. The last thing I want to be is a distraction.”

“Shame. I think you make a pretty good one.”

* * *

 

_Over the years, his go-to during bouts of insomnia usually meant days on end in his lab with minimal contact outside it. It was part of the reason he hated going on long trips that wouldn’t allow him the time to distract himself from his inability to sleep. After a few trips, he figured out the best way to deal with it meant wandering around until he found something to distract himself. Normally, he stumbled upon a place to view the city or found something to take apart and put back together better than before._

_He’d been in the process of finding something to occupy his overactive mind when he stumbled upon Bucky sitting near a wall of windows in a room he almost passed by. The low lights of the room made him nothing more than a vague outline that probably wanted to be looked over. He considered leaving him alone to his thoughts, but the temptation of a distraction was too great to pass up. A low whoosh of the door opening drew Bucky’s attention to the door, which subsequently landed his eyes on where he stood in the doorway._

_When he didn’t give any sign of wanting him to leave, he crossed the short distance between them to take a seat next to Bucky on the ground. Figuring out why Bucky came here of all places didn’t exactly take more than a brief glance out the window in front of him. The view before him was the kind of breathtaking that it never seemed real-no matter how long he looked at it. Despite understanding why, it didn’t explain how he ended up here in the first place. According to Princess Shuri, he spent most of his time in a hut outside the city limits._

_“Fancy seeing you here. It’s a bit late to be taking in the view.”_

_“Is that why you’re here? Taking in the view?”_

_“Might as well. It’s not like I’m getting any sleep tonight. What about you? I heard you were in a hut somewhere, and something about goats.”_

_Some nervous fingers picked at a string coming loose from the fabric of his pants, then immediately stilled when he noticed Tony picking up on the movement. “The doctors wanted me to stay in case something happened. It’s pretty standard at this point.”_

_“Doesn’t make it any easier.”_

_“Yeah.”_

_They fell into a relaxed silence as they both continued to stare out the window at the beautiful city below them and the landscape beyond it. While he preferred the incredible tech to the scenery, it still had an appeal to it that helped distract him from his restlessness. His mind felt calmer the longer he surveyed the view below him for hints of life and things he missed during his walk through the market a few days ago. Some of the things he recognized from his discussions with Shuri, but a few he made note of to ask her about when he next saw her._

_“I’m sorry for killing your parents. You had every right to attack me like you did in Siberia. After seeing that and-”_

_“No, I didn’t.” When Bucky attempted to interrupt him, he drove on to get through his point before they could get off track. “I’ve seen your file, not that it tells the whole story, but I have some idea of what you’ve gone through. What Hydra did to you wasn’t just torture. They brainwashed you to get you to do whatever they wanted without any questions asked. Nothing you did when you were with them was your choice, and choice matters. Would you have done it if they sat you down and asked you to kill them?”_

_“No, I fought against them for a reason.”_

_“I know that. Whenever Peggy came over, she’d tell me stories of Captain America and the Howling Commandos. I know what you fought for. Honestly, I had my doubts about what happened to my parents. I blamed my father for a long time, but after finding out Obadiah had been selling Stark weapons to terrorist organizations, I started to wonder. I thought about looking into it, then everything else happened and there were more important things to be concerned about.”_

_“That doesn’t mean watching them be murdered didn’t catch you off guard.”_

_“It did, but not because you’re the one Hydra sent to kill them. It makes sense. You were there secret weapon, and I’m sure they thought it was hilarious that Howard would know exactly who they sent to kill him.”_

_Confusion rolled off Bucky in waves as his eyebrows scrunched together and he tapped his fingers against the ground. “Then what caught you off guard?”_

_“I’m sure you understand how hard it is to trust after going through what you did. Trust isn’t something I give out easily because I know what can happen when you put trust in the wrong person. I thought I could trust Rogers. We didn’t get along at first. I didn’t think he could live up to the god-like figure my dad always painted him to be when I was growing up, and he wasn’t, but he was the kind I person I thought I could trust to have my back. I don’t think someone that can keep something that important from you is the type of person you can trust. Even if he did it to protect you, that means he didn’t trust me to have his back.”_

_“You’re right. I’m sorry he didn’t tell you.”_

_“Why? It wasn’t your decision to make. Rogers knew since S.H.I.E.L.D. fell apart. It’s been years. He had plenty of chances. He could’ve told me at any point.”_

_“What would you have done if he did?”_

_“We’ll never know.” He turned his head back to look at the city, so he wouldn’t have to look Bucky in the eyes as he spoke. “I offered to help him look for you after D.C., but he told me he had people looking into it and didn’t want to bother me when I’m already busy. If he had told me the truth that day, I like to think that I still would’ve helped.”_

_“This might not mean much since I don’t know you well, but I think you would have.”_

_Out of the corner of his eye, he could make out the clear sincerity on Bucky’s face. “Considering I nearly attacked you in Siberia, I’m not sure if you’re giving me credit for being in a difficult situation or a terrible judge of character.”_

_“We both know you could’ve killed me if you wanted to. You caught me off guard and have more devastating tools in your suit than your fists. I’ve seen the footage of what Iron Man can do. You can kill when you have to-or want to-which means you weren’t trying. Like you said, you felt betrayed by Steve, not that you wanted to kill us.”_

_“Maybe so. Like I also said, we’ll never know.”_

* * *

 

“Should I be concerned?” He crossed his arms over his chest in the hopes it masked the amusement he felt at seeing Bucky and Peter arguing over something he could smell got burnt to a crisp. “Is it safe to assume I’ll need to put in a takeout order? There’s no way I’m eating something that burnt, even if it was made with love. I’m pretty sure that could kill me.”

When Peter opened his mouth to say something, Bucky nudged his elbow into his ribs that had him snapping it shut. “That’s probably for the best. Whatever you want is fine with us.”

“If you were going with subtle, you failed miserably. Did I interrupt something that I wasn’t supposed to? I can pretend I never saw anything and the two of you can go back to being shady. As long as I don’t have to replace the kitchen, I don’t care.”

“It doesn’t really matter now. The surprise is ruined now.”

“Surprise?”

The two culprits shared a look between them that ended with Peter shooting him a smile, then scurrying out of the room. When he raised his eyebrows at Bucky for an explanation to the obviously strange behavior, he shrugged his shoulders in response. While it was tempting to wait for Bucky’s nerves to get the best of him, the grumbling in his stomach had him taking the direct approach.

“I’ve got a lot of talents but reading people’s minds isn’t one of them. Do you expect me to guess what the surprise was for?”

“No, I’m just trying to get over the fact I failed miserably. This was supposed to be a surprise dinner date. I know you’re busy with your company and helping get the final authorizations for Wakanda, so I thought this would be easier than trying to do something elaborate that’ll take forever to plan. Guess that’s what I get for being impatient.”

“It’s not the worst thing someone’s done for me. In fact, I know I’ve done worse. So, thank you. How about I order that takeout and we take it up to the roof. Having dinner under the star is romantic, right? That’s something people would do on a first date?”

“Are you really asking me? I haven’t had a date since 1942.” A teasing grin spread across Bucky’s face that didn’t disappear when he went to scrap the burnt food into the trash. “But since you asked for my opinion, I think it’s up to us to decide whether we want it to be our first date or not. It won’t be anything special, but I don’t mind if you don’t.”

“I’ve never been patient and special is an objective opinion. Some consider going out to a fancy restaurant or some elaborate party special, but I’ve been doing that my whole life. Those things aren’t special to me. In fact, I hate going to them. I’d rather be in my workshop or eating a burger on the roof with an ex-assassin. Other people might not think it is, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be special to us.”

“This is why you’re the genius.”

“I’m pretty sure the IQ, several PhDs and inventions are the reason people refer to me as a genius, but I’ll take the compliment.”

“I don’t think that counts as taking the compliment.”

He let out a short laugh, then pushed off the doorframe to leave the room. “I’m pretty sure it does. I’ll head up to the roof. You can join me when you decide to just trash that pan because there’s no way you’re saving it now. Don’t forget to bring the food when you come.”

“This pan will be sparkling when I’m done with it.”

“That would take a miracle, but don’t let that stop you. Don’t forget the food.”

“I’m not going to forget the food!”

* * *

 

_“We’ve got to stop meeting like this.” He leaned over the edge of the railing to look at the man curled up in a chair below him. The hold on the book in his hand relaxed a little, but he gave no other sign that he planned to acknowledge him. “Wow. What have I done to deserve the silent treatment? There’s no way that book is nearly as interesting as a conversation with me. I’m starting to think you don’t like me. Surely that can’t be it.”_

_“Why talk when you can have a conversation by yourself?”_

_“Doesn’t a conversation require at least one other person?”_

_“That probably depends on who you ask.”_

_“And you don’t think it does?”_

_Finally, the book snapped shut and got put to the side as Bucky angled his body to look up at him. “I just said you can have a conversation with yourself. I think that means I’m on the side of conversations not requiring a second person.”_

_“Someone’s feeling particularly sassy today. Is this your normal state of being or did I just catch you in a mood?”_

_“Maybe a bit of both.”_

_“That seems a bit contradictory, but I’ll accept it for now. Feel free to go back to your reading. I’ll find some other way to entertain myself. I suppose I could go find somewhere to have a nice chat with me, myself, and I.”_

_“Are you already done with meetings for the day?” A mix of curiosity and something that could’ve been excitement tinged the edges of Bucky’s voice. “How’d you convince them to give you a break?”_

_“You know, I am doing this as a favor. They don’t force me to spend all day in those meetings. As for being done, they decided to take the rest of the day to draft up a few letters and documents that will help get things moving. What about you? Finished your goat herding for the day?”_

_“Had some checkups this morning. It’s another night here, so no goat herding for me today. A few of the kids promised to look after them for me. I’ll have a lot of clean up tomorrow.”_

_“Sounds like a lot of fun. I’d offer to help, but I’m busy tomorrow.”_

_Despite rolling his eyes, Bucky let out a soft chuckle that gave away his amusement at Tony’s less than genuine non-offer. “When isn’t Tony Stark busy?”_

_“On days that don’t end in -y. Other than that, my days are booked. Days like this are rare, and I don’t even have a workshop to tinker in.”_

_“How about I take you on a tour instead? I can show you a few of my favorite places. There’s a few I think you’d enjoy.”_

_“Does anyone ever say no to a private tour?”_

_“It probably depends on who’s offering.” Even though he hadn’t answered, Bucky rose from his chair after tucking his book away in a bag he slung over his shoulder. “Are you coming? I’m thinking our first stop should be food.”_

_“You had me at food. Lead the way!”_

* * *

 

While he greatly enjoyed the sight of Bucky in a suit, the uncertainty gnawing at his gut for the past few days remained. Despite his own traumatic experiences, it’d been easy to fall back into the role of genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist. From the time he was born, too many eyes followed him wherever he went, so he developed his persona to deal with it. He knew how to play the part, and it felt like putting on a second skin that was more familiar than the body he came back with and the doubts eating away at him. The groups of people staring hadn’t bothered him, but he couldn’t be sure the same would apply to Bucky.

“Are you sure about coming tonight? I bet Peter wouldn’t mind the company. Do you know how long he spent in my workshop trying to convince me that he should get to come tonight? I didn’t know someone could talk for that long without breathing.”

“I’m positive.” After adjusting his tie one more time to rest perfectly flat in the center of his chest, he turned away from the mirror to face him. “Thank you for looking out for me, but I need to do this. If I’m going to be part of the Avengers, I need to face the public. I know you’ve been working to better the Winter Soldier image so I can join you out in the field when I’m ready. It’s time for me to put some work into making that happen.”

“Fair enough, but that doesn’t mean we have to start with something so big. There’s a small interview scheduled for next week here. We could find a way to slip you into the itinerary.”

“If you still want to do that, I’ll do it, but I’m still coming tonight. I get why you’re worried. There’s going to be a lot of people there that will probably want to ask questions and some of them won’t filter themselves. I don’t expect tonight to be easy, but I’m not going to be alone. I’ll have you and Rhodey and Carol and Hope and Stephen and Wong and-”

“I don’t think I’d put Stephen in that category, but I get the point. The power of friendship will help you get through the night. I just want to be sure that you don’t push yourself too hard. There’s no point doing this if it ends up a gigantic mess.”

The corners of Bucky’s lips lifted into a soft smile that reached his shining eyes that bore right into Tony’s own. “Thanks for the concern. I appreciate it. It’s good to know you’ll have my back.”

“Why wouldn’t I have your back? Isn’t that what we’ve been doing?”

“If that’s what you want to call it, sure. We’ve been having each other’s backs.”

“Number one, I didn’t ask for the sass. You’ve been spending too much time with everyone else.” As he spoke, he popped up his fingers to help prove his point. “Number two, I consider helping clear your name so you could show your face in public again having your back. That took some impressive political maneuvering.”

“And collecting every pertinent expert you could find.”

“I’m sure you’ve figured out by now that I don’t do anything by half, that’s how I make sure to get my way when I want something.”

“It’s also why people think you’re an egotistical maniac that throws his money around.”

“Actually, I think that has more to do with my personality than my actions.”

“It’s probably a little bit of both.”

“Probably.”

A laugh rolled through Bucky’s body as he stepped forward, so the space between them almost disappeared completely. “Are you satisfied that this one party isn’t going to be the one thing that completely unravels everything? We do have to leave at some point. Pepper will personally kill you if you miss this.”

“Lead the way.”

“Don’t mind if I do.”

After turning around to face the door, Bucky held out his arm for him to take, and raised an eyebrow in question when he didn’t. Despite rolling his eyes at the invitation, he took it without a second nudge because there was no way he could pass it up. They moved together through the compound, until they reached the car he picked out for the night. The arm his looped through disappeared to open the passenger’s door, then motioned for him to get in.

“You’re driving?”

“Do you have a problem with that?”

“When did you get a driver’s license? I don’t remember you having one.”

The smirk Bucky sent him gave him such a confident look he could easily see people caving the instant he turned it on them. “What? You think anyone is going to know that?”

“Where did you learn to drive?”

“Are you really asking me that? I was driving before you were born.”

“That’s not at all a weird thing to say.”

* * *

 

_After putting away the last of his belongings, he dropped onto the edge of the bed he’d rarely slept in the few weeks he’d been in Wakanda. While he was glad the Wakandans were now set to push through with their plans, he knew he’d miss being here as soon as he left. Despite the hustle and bustle, things were more peaceful here than back home and so much new tech he’d never seen before that he could happily spend the rest of his days playing with it all. Even though he’d spent most of his time in meetings, there’d been enough time to get attached to a few people that he spent time with, like Princess Shuri and Nakia. He’d have to extend invitations to them to visit when they all had the time._

_A sharp knock on the door broke him out of the trance he’d fallen into while he got lost in his thoughts. As he let out a sigh, he rose from the bed to answer the door before the person either knocked again or decided to leave. When he opened the door, he was surprised to find Bucky on the other side with a small package held in his hand._

_“I’ve been here weeks, and this is the first time you’re stopping by. What’s the occasion?”_

_“Since I forgot to give you this and you’re leaving soon, I thought I’d bring it to you. It’ll be a while before we see each other again.”_

_“What makes you say that?”_

_“Well, I’m a fugitive and you can’t come to Wakanda all the time.”_

_“You’ve been here for months. Surely, they’ve introduced you to the wonders of cellphones and video calls. Writing letters and having to wait months on end is out of date.”_

_“Has someone figured out how to send objects over a virtual space?” He held up the package and gave it a little shake causing whatever he wrapped inside it to jingle. “If someone has, I’d be more than happy to send it that way.”_

_“Wasn’t the post office around when you were born? There’s a huge international trade industry now. You can send practically anything, anywhere.”_

_“I want to give it to you, not have some stranger drop it off on your door. Now, are you going to open it? I don’t have all day.”_

_After giving him a considering stare for a few more seconds, he stepped back from the door and returned to his previous spot on the bed. When Bucky didn’t move to enter, he dramatically motioned for him to join him on the edge of the mattress. A few seconds slowly ticked away, then he entered the room and took up the invitation to sit next to him. He placed the package between them and waited patiently as he unwrapped it._

_“It’s a charm meant to bring peace and restful dreams. There’s also some tech integrated into it that I think you’ll enjoy.”_

_“Are you giving me permission to pick apart the gift you just gave me?”_

_“That kind of defeats the purpose of it, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s what you decided to do with it. It’s yours now. You can do whatever you want to it.”_

_“Thanks for the permission.”_

_“You’re welcome.” A hint of a smile appeared on Bucky’s lips, then he stood up and made to exit the room. “It was nice spending time with you. We’ll have to keep in touch.”_

_“Sure you can handle the advanced tech you’ll need to do that?”_

_“If I can’t, I can always fall back on sending letters by carrier pigeon.”_

_“That sounds like a mess. How about you ask someone for help before you resort to carrier pigeon.”_

_“I’ll think about it.”_

* * *

 

That sound that came out of his mouth could only be described as a giggle, which he completely blamed on the alcohol. He hadn’t intended to have so many drinks during dinner, but his glass kept getting refilled and he reached for it without thinking. All his attention went to the man across from him as he told him ridiculous stories about what happened while he was away at a conference. Luckily, it hadn’t mattered because Bucky gave him an arm to loop his through while they walked and drove them back to the compound.

“What are you thinking about?” Arms snaked their way around his waist and a chin landed on his shoulder causing a strand of hair that fell out of his bun to brush against his ear. “You’ve been staring out the window for a while. Did you get an idea for something?”

“If I had an idea, you’d know.”

“I’m pretty familiar with your inventing binges at this point. It’s good to know we’re not going to have to drag you out of the workshop in a few days to eat and get some rest.”

“Rest sounds good right about now.”

“Not surprising. What time would it be if you were still there?”

“Too early. International trips aren’t as fun as they used to be.” When the arms around his waist loosened enough for him to pull away, he slipped around Bucky to drop onto the bed to rest his aching muscles. “This feels so much better than the one in the hotel. I don’t know who convinced them that clouds make good mattresses, but someone needs to tell them that support is a necessary thing.”

“I’ll be sure to get right on that. I’ll leave a scathing review on Yelp.”

“Who told you about Yelp?”

“MJ.”

Despite the fact he couldn’t see Bucky, he rolled his eyes at the ceiling at the thought of the two leaving reviews for every place they’ve been. “Why am I not surprised? Should I be worried about a lawsuit? I’m not dealing with any paperwork. The two of you are on your own with all that.”

“We didn’t say anything that wasn’t true.”

“I’ll ask Peter tomorrow.”

“Wow. You trust a teenager over me?”

“One of you is a fantastic liar, and the other is horrendous at it. So, I’ll be asking Peter.”

“Fair enough.”

A comfortable silence fell over the room giving him the perfect opportunity to close his eyes for a few moments and enjoy the peace. He let out a grateful hum when the shoes on his feet were gently removed, then the other side of the bed dipped slightly. While the temptation to put something comfier on struck him, the desire to not move again until he had to won over. The pull of sleep just started to grip him when a soft surprised noise from his left put him back on alert.

“What?”

“Did you plan on picking this apart to see how it worked?”

After cracking his eyes open to get a quick glance at the object dangling from one of Bucky’s fingers, he let them slide shut again. “Now, that would have defeated the purpose of it. How is it supposed to bring me peace and restful dreams if I take it apart? That’s not very sound logic on your part.”

“From how often you complain about Stephen’s magic, I wouldn’t think you’d believe something like this could help.”

“At this point, I’ve given up trying to make sense of every single thing that happens in the universe. I’ll stick to science, but I can admit that there are things out there that I don’t understand and probably never will. Thor could summon lightening and fly with a hammer. Not much logic to that.”

“You can just admit you kept it because I gave it to you. There’s no need to come up with an elaborate explanation.”

“I can’t hear you over the sound of me sleeping.”

“That’s strange. It doesn’t sound like you’re sleeping to me.” Just to annoy him, he started fake snoring so loud he wouldn’t be able to ignore him. “You’ve made your point. I don’t want to hear you snore anymore than I already have to.”

“I do not snore.”

“Unless you’ve recorded yourself sleeping, I don’t think you can say for certain that you don’t snore.”

“I don’t snore.”

A snort much closer to his ear than he expected it to be was all the warning he got before he got pulled against a firm chest. “I can think of a few people that would disagree with you, but I’ll let you continue the delusion that you’re not a snorer.”

“Even if I was, I wouldn’t be snoring anymore. Didn’t anyone tell you it’s rude to move someone that’s sleeping.”

“You were doing a lot of talking for someone sleeping.”

“That doesn’t mean I wasn’t comfortable. Now I’m going to have to find the right spot again. It takes a lot of hard work to get that comfortable.”

“I’m hearing a lot of complaining from someone that’s supposed to be sleeping. If I’m a distraction, I can go to my own room. I know how important sleep is and with all the travel you’ve been doing lately, you definitely need a good night’s rest.” The body underneath his began to slip out from under him, but he let out a grunt of protest and grabbed hold of his arm to keep him still. “That’s what I thought. Are you actually ready to go to sleep or do you want to watch something?”

“Pick something out while I change into something more comfortable.”

“You’re going to get up?”

“Well, someone moved me after I got settled, so I might as well get up and not wake up with indents from my jeans all over my legs in the morning.”

Despite catching Bucky roll his eyes at him, he ignored it in favor of disappearing into his closet to exchange his dirty clothing for his softest pair of sweatpants and an old sweater he stole from Rhodey. When he returned to the bedroom, he found Bucky completely melted into the mattress with some cooking show on for background noise. While the thought crossed his mind that he could get revenge, his exhausted body wanted nothing more than to crawl in next to him. The instant he settled down against his side, arms wrapped around him to keep him tightly against Bucky’s chest.

“Are you comfortable again?”

“Yes, so don’t move around in your sleep.”

“I’ll do my best to remember that when I’m unconscious.”

“That’s all I ask.”

After a soft chuckle vibrated through Bucky’s body, the sound of sizzling food and their own breathing filled the room. The drowsiness from earlier settled over him once again as the warmth of another body and steady rhythm of him breathing lulled him to sleep. He tittered on the edge of falling completely asleep when a gentle press of lips against the top of his head filtered through the haze. Rather than say something, he acknowledged it with a please hum and snuggled a little closer.

“Night, Tony. Get some rest.”

“Don’t tell me what to do.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it. Now, go to sleep.”

“Night, Bucky. You better get some sleep, too.”

Another laugh rolled through Bucky, then he pressed a second kiss against his head. “Yes, sir. You’re the boss.”

“And don’t you forget it.”

“How could I? I’m not going anywhere, and I know you won’t let me forget it.”

“Never.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos always greatly appreciated. You can find me on Tumblr ([SociallyAwkwardFoxWriter](http://sociallyawkwardfoxwriter.tumblr.com/)).


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